The Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines is proposing regulatory changes to support the implementation of amendments to Ontario's Mining Act found in Bill 39, the Aggregate Resources and Mining Modernization Act, 2017. The changes are part of the Mining Act modernization process that began in 2009.

Included is a proposal for a new regulation to govern the conversion of existing mining claims into new cell-based mining claims, as well as changes to the current General Regulation (O. Reg. 45/11) and the revocation of the existing Forms Regulation (O. Reg. 44/11).

Comments may be made by August 25, 2017 using a response form or directly to Roy Denomme, Project Lead, Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Mines and Minerals Division, 933 Ramsey Lake Road, Level B6, Sudbury, Ontario P3E 6B5, 705-670-3019 (phone).

During your health and safety trainings and warm-ups, instruct workers toBREATHEthrough the exercises. Muscles need air to operate properly and improve range of motion (or, as we refer to it more commonly:stretch). Alwaysinhale with your noseand exhale with your mouth.

Every stretch or exercise performed during trainings should include BREATHE.

Inhaling through the nose helps use the deeper part of you (diaphragm instead of the throat) to get air.

Exhaling though the mouth helps use your rib muscles (internal obliques, to get technical) to push out all the air and get the best breath possible.

Try it! Take just six BIG HUGE breathes, inhaling though the nose and exhaling through the mouth. It’s better than a cup of coffee when you get done.

Responding to testimony jointly filed by industry and labor stakeholders, the House Labor/HHS Appropriations bill responds to two key mining industry concerns regarding the 2018 budget for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).Not only does the bill restore the NIOSH mining research line item, but it does so at the 2017 funding level of $59.9m that stakeholders recommended. NIOSH’s overall budget largely was restored with the committee proposal $10m below the FY’17 enacted level.

Last week IMA-NA filed comments on EPA’s draft guidance for reporting chemical substances when manufactured or processed as nanoscale materials.The guidelines ultimately adopted are intended to implement the January 12, 2017 final rule.IMA-NA pointed out that certain industrial minerals, principally phyllosilicates, form sheets capable of meeting the reportable nanoscale material size range of 1-100 nm in at least one dimension.IMA-NA stressed that these materials are naturally occurring and their nanoscale sheet-forming capacity is inherent in the minerals themselves.While EPA couples the size criterion with a requirement that the material also must exhibit unique and novel properties, IMA-NA regards the latter criterion as vague and recommended that it be defined as discontinuous change in chemical reactivity, electrical or catalytic properties.

On July 17, 2017, Imerys Carbonates will sponsor and volunteer in the annual Renewal & Remembrance event coordinated by the National Association of Landscape Professionals at Arlington National Cemetery.Imerys notes that this service event provides an opportunity to honor their own veteran-employees while working with industry peers to give back and honor the American military service members who made the ultimate sacrifice serving and protecting our country.For over 20 years, Imerys Carbonates, a lime and calcium carbonate supplier, has donated lawn care products and services to fertilize the cemetery grounds.

IMA-NA Executive Vice President Dr. Darrell Smith is leaving IMA-NA to become the President and CEO of the National Waste & Recycling Association, based in Arlington, VA. Tomorrow, July 14th, will be his last day at IMA-NA. Darrell has worked on behalf of the industrial minerals industry for over a decade, lending his expertise in safety and health as well as sustainability to the organization. His work has complemented and highlighted IMA-NA members’ continuing efforts to remain industry leaders. We, here at IMA-NA, will miss Darrell and thank him sincerely for his contributions and service to the association and its membership. We also wish him well in this next phase of his professional career and we encourage you to do so as well by contacting him at darrellsmith@ima-na.org.

IMA-NA filed comments today with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in response to a notice with respect to substances included as part of the 2017 Inventory Update (2017 IU), specifically on CAS RN 10192-46-8 – Boric acid (H3BO3), zinc salt (2:3). Zinc borate is one of approximately 1,500 substances included in Canada’s mandatory Section 71 2017 IU, published on January 14, 2017.The voluntary stakeholder submission provides information previously addressed in the screening assessment public comment period for boric acid, its salts and precursors. The goal of the voluntary stakeholder submission is to assist with the analysis of the Section 71 survey data and to proactively assist in preparing for the assessment of zinc borate under Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan initiative.

IMA-NA filed comments yesterday on EPA's CERCLA §108(b) notice of proposed rulemaking.This rulemaking would establish financial assurance requirements for Superfund liability at individual hardrock mining facilities.These financial assurances have the potential to be extremely costly . . . as in millions of dollars per industrial minerals facility.The IMA-NA comments are specific to the industrial minerals sector.IMA-NA also have been participating in a coalition of other hardrock mining trade associations, as well as trade associations representing industry sectors that EPA has indicated it likely next would subject to CERCLA §108(b) financial responsibility requirements (e.g., chemicals manufacturing, petroleum and coal products manufacturing, electrical power generation, transmission and distribution). The coalition comments also are attached for your information.

Shoulders can be a tricky beast to tackle when it comes to stiffness and impingements. Check out this shoulder mobility tutorial to keep shoulders loose, and understand proper training techniques for on-site warmups.

Did you know that top athletes can generate twice the power of the “everyday” human?

MineFit was founded on the principles of treating miners like athletes. Not in the sense of equating working men and women to “elite” sports performers, but rather that, to avoid pain and injury, you should treat your workers as you would an elite athlete:

(1) encourage proper posture,
(2) know the right methods,
(3) and understand the WHY of activities during Health and Safety trainings.

The article below is a glimpse into the current events in wellness: Stand Up Tall! It is easy to achieve once you get a little practice and know your body check-points.

Neck, Shoulders, Hips, Knees, Feet.

Please review this article, which has some technical terminology; but, if you google any of the terms, you can get an image of what it means.

...Also, here is one secret: Lay on the floor and see how much of you (your spine) gets to the floor when your legs are down flat and your palms are down by your sides.